effectively with the relevant service-providers, offering them fuller accounts for
diagnosis and (presumably, though we heard nothing specific on this account)
more accurate accounts of the effect of their treatment.
- Learning English enables communication.
For respondents who have recently arrived in England and who do not speak
English, learning some English through ESOL classes enables them to
communicate with their doctor and form a relationship with them.
- Education provides some shared rules of communication: the kinds of things
to say, when to keep quiet, the terminology. This is well articulated by Denise,
whose son has Asperger’s syndrome:
“Because I went to grammar school and then I worked in a hospital laboratory
for 20 years - but because I’ve come from that background, you’re able to talk
to people at the same level. You know what to say, when to keep quiet .. It’s the
same with teachers and everyone .. You’re educated to their level [ ... ].
[Denise feels that in order to communicate with professionals you need to know
what] language to use. It’s like the language you use with teachers and
everybody, professionals. Because I’ve had the education, I’ve got the
language. ”
- Education develops individuals’ literary communication skills, particularly in
terms of writing formal letters to professionals, as Stacey explains:
“ I’m good at writing letters. I’m good at writing and I’m quite good at
researching as well and finding out information and that’s all to do with my
past education and experience .. Though education doesn’t help you to prepare
for children ...for the emotional and physical impact.. it does prepare you to
be able to beat the system. ”
When education develops individuals’ abilities or competencies to deal with
systems this may benefit the individual and their family, but not society, where
allocation of funds is supposed to depend upon level of need rather than ability
to put one’s case. In fact, those better able to put their case are probably those
who are more advantaged in other ways - apart from the particular problems
that they are experiencing.
b) Education enables people to access information sources for themselves. This
may be in tandem with professional assistance, or in isolation from it - or even
in opposition to it, where individuals feel unhappy with the advice or treatment
they are getting.
Education leads to the acquisition of knowledge and understanding about ill health
and health-related issues via the following mechanisms:
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